Business Central February 2021

34 | Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui o icia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui Headline headline headline dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur? Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui o icia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Making a difference Karen Phelps Riverland has been growing and selling fresh fruit for over 50 years. Worki g more effectively A programme that aims to change the way people think has seen Riverland Fruit Company experience the highest reten- tion rate of staff who have entered the business from the bene t, says Think Right fou der Mike Clark who runs the compa- ny with wife Kiri. Think Right trains people and businesses to work more effectively and be more suc- cessful based on the u derst nding that a person’s thoughts det rmine their destiny. Riverland owner Carl Hamlin had previ- ously trained with Think Right a d aft r identifying tha while he could train s aff in the physical spects of the job it was often lifestyle and mindset factors that were holding them back. Think Right completed an initial scoping session with the Riverland management team identifying pain points for the busi- ness and ascertaining the aims. It also met the crew and got feedback as to the speci c challenges they felt they faced. Training was then tailored to suit Riverland’s unique requirements. Mike says on m in point was that the staff did n t have enough self-awareness in order to be able to regulate and moti- vate themselves. After personality pro ling staff a model was created for Riverland based on its ideal team player. Mike says the resulting training covered many different aspects including life skills such as basic budgeting, relationships, health and more. Addiction issues were a challenge for some and so Think Right worked to compleme t what xisting service providers were doi g. Mike says the Riverl nd programme evolve as the people on the programme evolved. “Riverland is focused on not j st the person at work but the whole person in- cluding their life outside of work and how this affects them and therefore their ability to do the job,” explains Mike. “We had to consider: where are they at now? What do they need at the moment? This helped us to tailor things to where people are at to help them to get where they want to be.” Think Right conducts training four times a year to tie in with the orchard seasons and keeps in close liaison with Riverland in-between. Mike says the results have been outstand- ing and he applauds Riverland’s investment in its people. “When we rst started they were a bunch of individuals; now they are a very strong team. It’s created a community where they work togeth r and also socialise outside of work. As a resu t there is a great sense of camaraderie and their productivity has steadily increased.” R iverland Fruit Company is a shining example of the success of the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF), says business owner Carl Hamlin. The Gisborne-based company’s programme to transition hard-to-place trainees to fill the orchard’s employment demand has exceeded all expectations creating a win-win situation. “So far we’ve employed 44 people through the programme, which has exceeded our expectations, and we’ll carry on with it as the productivity gains for the business have been incredible coupled with the positive outcomes for the individuals,” says Carl. It’s been a multi-pronged approach. River- land Fruit Company received a $1.9 million commercial loan to expand its operation to extend its productive season. The company also received a grant, over three years, of $1.663 million, from the PGF-funded skills and employment pro- gramme, Te Ara Mahi. Carl says that the region has a higher than average rate of young people not in employ- ment, education or training and the pro- gramme aims to help address these issues. Trainees receive on-the-job skills training, including study at the Eastland Institute of Technology (EIT), with a goal for participants to graduate with level 2 qualifications. The training programme also includes pastoral care such as supporting individuals at court appearances, through a drug issue or perhaps linking them to mental healthcare services. It has also involved signing people up to Kiwisaver and helping to arrange payment plans to pay off any debt so they are creating a better future for themselves. Carl says the overall aim is to move from a reliance on seasonal staff to creating career pathways for locals resulting in full time jobs. He says thanks to the Government’s sup- port Riverland was in one of the best positions of any orchard nationwide to weather the fallout from Covid-19 and does not have a staff shortage. “The aim is to create a high calibre of workforce who are multi-skilled and can carry out a wide range of tasks year-round resulting in stable employment for them and a stable workforce for us.” Participants have also been linked to health- care provider Turanga Health, which has resulted in a proactive rather than a reactive approach to healthcare. This has also extend- ed to the participants wider family who have also been brought into the system. Business results have also been outstand- ing, says Carl, citing that productivity in terms of fruit volumes was up 22% on the previous season with just a 0.07% lift in wages. He puts this down to intangible factors that can be hard to measure. “If people are engaged in their work, have job security and hope then they work better. For us continuing with this programme is the only sustainable way forward for our busi- ness.” Riverland has been growing and selling fresh fruit for over 50 years and is still owned and operated by the Hamlin family, four gen- erations later and this has been an important factor in both the idea and the willingness to take part in such a programme, says Carl. “Our business is about more than fruit; it’s about empowering our team to do what they do best, and creating a loving, joyful communi- ty, where families come together through the sharing of good food.” Riverland Fruit Company